Key Points: 

• State board greenlights revisions to teaching, English language learner standards 

• Department of Education to convene stakeholder committee to propose edits

• Board members urge transparency, preservation of values in revision process

With the go-ahead from the State Board of Education, the Arizona Department of Education is leading the charge to cut any language that could fall under the federal government’s definition of diversity, equity and inclusion from teaching standards and framework for English language learners. 

An executive order from President Donald Trump and a subsequent warning from the U.S. Department of Education pushed states to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion in education or face the loss of federal funding.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne sought to get in line, and at a board meeting in October, associate superintendents asked to revise the Arizona Professional Teaching Standards and Structured English Immersion Endorsement Course Frameworks, claiming an alleged $866 million cut in federal funding. 

After the last board meeting left lingering questions, the department returned Dec. 8 with a more concrete plan to convene a stakeholder committee, with a charge to draft and present proposed revisions by next September. 

The department hopes to bring educators, administrators, course providers, higher education institutions, county superintendents and stakeholder groups into the fold to define DEI and implement any necessary changes. 

But board members expressed a desire to keep the spirit of diversity, equity and inclusion alive and instead retool any language vulnerable to federal scrutiny. And though satisfied with the department’s proposal, the board still wants to keep a close eye, making a plea for a transparent, open process and member access at meetings. 

“This should not be a good ol’ boys thing. This should be very transparent, extremely transparent,” Board member Jacqui Clay said. “We know that DEI is a very subjective thing, and I want to make sure that this state has put it on the table, pulled that Band-Aid off the wound — if there is one — and washed it out clearly.” 

The Arizona Department of Education first proposed opening the two sets of standards for revision in October, but, given some reservations, board members declined to dive in. 

For one, the U.S. Department of Education order requiring the elimination of any language deemed to be related to diversity, equity and inclusion is still tied up in the courts.

Beyond the pressure from the feds, members generally took issue with the department’s lack of a concrete plan for convening stakeholders and reaching consensus on necessary changes. 

In the interim, the department saw some backup from a slate of Republican lawmakers, while public education advocacy groups warned of unintended consequences for educators, students and curriculum if the revisions went too far.

In revisiting the issue at a board meeting on Dec. 8, Deputy Associate Superintendent Adela Santa Cruz began by outlining a plan to change the framework for educators teaching English language learners. 

Santa Cruz said the plan was to convene a group of at least 20 members, including three elementary level teachers, three middle and high school teachers, four school administrators, and two current Structured English Immersion course providers. 

She noted the plan to include representatives from the county superintendents, Arizona School Administrators Association, Arizona Rural School Association, the Arizona Education Association and parents.

The aim, too, is to bring in representation from all 15 counties, with the hope of having members ready to start working in February 2026. 

Through regular meetings, the department hopes the stakeholder groups can first define diversity, equity and inclusion and determine what language should be changed or removed. 

“It’s not our definition,” Santa Cruz said. 

The committee will update the State Board on its progress every other month, with a final draft slotted for September 2026. 

Clay, a State Board of Education member, warned against urgency in the revision process, advocating for open and robust conversation. 

“With that type of attitude that we have to get it done as quickly as possible, would that affect the culture of this committee? Would it be an underlying bullying that you have to do it my way? Would it be a place where people cannot have a robust conversation?” Clay said. “It takes a very skilled leader and facilitator to take a situation as serious as this right here, being very objective and bringing that to a conclusion.” 

Santa Cruz said she had never been accused of being a bully and did not intend to start now. 

“I can tell you that in my 45 years of experience in education and in working with English language learning exclusively, I’ve always sought to do what’s best for the student. I will continue to do that,” Santa Cruz said. 

Board member and Northern Arizona University President Jose Cruz Rivera pointed out the weight and tension of both the broader social and political landscape and the board’s fiduciary duty to ensure no loss of federal funding. 

Though, despite his prior reservations, he said he was satisfied with the responses from the department and “trustful that motivations behind this work will translate to the integrity of its implementation.” 

Member Jason Catanese also advocated for including former structured English immersion students in the conversation. 

“The words that become tarnished are still things that we value and things that are good for kids and things that improve instruction,” Karla Phillips-Krivickas said. “There’s got to be a balance between keeping the things we know are good for kids and the values that we have and the language that we use.” 

The board unanimously agreed to greenlight the revision process and followed a similar cadence in considering edits to the teaching standards. 

Associate Superintendent Sid Bailey said the department planned to take the same approach in convening stakeholders, first focusing on defining diversity, equity and inclusion and offering narrow revisions to comply with federal law. 

Bailey told the board the teaching standards working group would include elementary, middle, and high school teachers; school administrators; representatives from educator preparation programs, including members from state universities, community colleges and alternative programs; and parents. 

In finding members, Bailey said the department would consult county superintendents, Arizona School Administrators, the Arizona Rural School Association, the Arizona Education Association, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the Arizona Community College Coordinating Council and the Arizona Board of Regents. 

The department plans to gauge how the committee’s recommended changes affect educator evaluations, professional development, and educator preparation programs. 

Clay again asked for access and transparency, requesting that board members listen in on any meetings. 

Bailey said the department would consider the request, and whether the meetings will be open to the public remains an open question, too, according to a spokesperson. 

 The board unanimously agreed to open teaching standards up to revisions.